Split bolted wear-sleeve for blastfurnace bell rod



Jan. 2, 1968 o. B. ANDERSON ETAL' 3,361,275

SPLIT BOLTED WEAR-SLEEVE FOR BLAST-FURNACE BELL ROD Filed June 21, 1966 w vw S m: E L L 7 L 8 L m mm 'IIIIIIII" N V5 /V7' 0R5 OSCAR B. ANDERSON and LESLIE W/LS/V v e 1 fl r' I l/arney United States Patent 3,361,275 SPLIT BOLTED WEAR-SLEEVE FOR BLAST- FURNACE BELL ROD Oscar B. Anderson, Hobart, and Leslie E. Wilson, Crown Point, Ind., assignors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 21, 1966, Ser. No. 559,250 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-36) The present invention relates generally to blast-furnace construction and, more particularly, to an improved wear-sleeve mounting arrangement for the small bell rod of a blast furnace.

As is Well known, the small bell rod of a blast furnace is conventionally provided with removable wear rings along its length to protect it from the abrasive action of raw materials charged into the furnace. The rings are made of an abrasive-resistant metal such as high chrome cast iron and are usually formed from two semi-circular interlocking segments, such as the type disclosed in Patent No. 3,144,145, each weighing about fifty pounds. Approximately thirty rings are used on a normal small bell rod.

The rings were assembled on the rod stacked one upon the other with the bottom ring being supported by a fitting at the top of the small bell. After the rings had been in use for some time, certain ones thereof became worn to a condition requiring replacement. Such rings were usually in an area intermediate the top and bottom of the bell rod so that all of the rings that were not worn had to be disassembled and moved in order to reach the worn rings therebelow. This process was excessively time-consuming and resulted in prolonged furnace down-time with consequent production loss.

Another difficulty encountered in removing wear rings for replacement prior to my invention was the difliculty in disassembling the segments of each ring. The segments, being subjected to relatively high heat and intensive abrasive action became tightly joined together in almost welded condition and required the use of considerable force to separate them.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of my invention to provide an improved protector arrangement for a blastfurnace bell rod consisting of a plurality of wear-sleeves fitted around the rod in superposed relation extending substantially from one end to the other thereof.

As a corollary to the above, it is another object of my invention to provide a wear-sleeve for a blast-furnace bell rod which includes split ring segments having laterally projecting lugs thereon adapted to be bolted for securing the wear-sleeve to the bell rod.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a wearsleeve as set forth in the object immediately above in which the lugs adjacent the upper portion of the sleeve are provided with openings therethrough for receiving suspension cables or the like so that any wear-sleeve along the bell rod can be supported to permit removal of worn wearsleeves therebelow.

The above and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view partly in section of the upper portion of a blast furnace showing wear-sleeves mounted on the small bell rod of the furnace in accordance with my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view showing one wear-sleeve turned 90 for better illustration;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line IIIIII of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational View partly in section showing the lowermost wear-sleeve of an upper group thereof on the bell rod being supportel by suspension cables to permit replacement of the wear-sleeves on the lower portion of the bell rod.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2 designates the hollow small bell rod of a blast furnace which supports the small bell 4 of the furnace at its lower end. The small hell 4 is located. in the bottom of a revolving hopper 6 which in turn is located below a receiving hopper 8. A large bell rod 10 which supports the large hell (not shown) of the furnace passes upwardly through the small bell rod 2.

In normal operations, raw materials are charged into the receiving hopper and pass therefrom into the revolving hopper. The small hell 4 is lowered from the bottom of the revolving hopper 6 to discharge raw materials from the hopper onto the large bell of the furnace.

The small bell rod 2 extends upwardly from the small hell 4 through the revolving hopper 6 and the receiving hopper 8 and is protectively encased in a plurality of removable, superposed, abrasion-resistant wear-sleeves 12. Each of the wear-sleeves 12 is formed from two semicircular segments 14, as best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

Each of the wear-sleeve segments 14 is provided at its upper end with a pair of diametrically opposed, radially projecting lugs 16, each of which is formed with an upper perforation 18 and a lower perforation 20 separated by a rib 22. A pair of diametrically opposed, radially extending lugs 24 is provided adjacent the lower end of each of the segments 1-4. The top of each of the lugs 24 is shaped in the form of a substantially horizontal rib 24'. Lugs 24 are provided with perforations 26. The segments 14 of each of the wear-sleeves 12 are detachably secured together by nut-andbolt means 28 which extend through the perforations 20 of adjacent lugs 16, and nut-and-bolt means 30 which project through the perforations 26 of the adjacent lugs 24.

The ribs 22 and 24 serve as shields which function to protect the nut-and-bolt means 28 and 30, respectively, from the abrasive action of burden material by deflecting the material away from the respective nut and-bolt means as it is being charged into the furnace.

It will be noted that, if desired, each of the segments may be provided with only one pair of lugs located cen trally of the top and bottom of the segment and having two perforations therethrough.

In operation, the wear-sleeves are assembled on the small bell rod starting at the bottom thereof by placing two segments 14 around the rod with the lugs 16 and 24 thereof in alignment. Then, nut-and-bolt means 28 and 30 are fitted through perforations 20 and 26, respectively, to secure the wear-sleeve on the rod. Subsequent wearsleeves are assembled sequentially to the top of the rod.

When one or more of the wear-sleeves 12 of the present invention requires replacement, it is not necessary to first perform the laborious and time-consuming task of removing all of the wear-sleeves above those requiring replacement. To effect replacement of worm-sleeves of the invention, the wear-sleeve 12' immediately above those requiring replacement is tied off or supported by stringing a suspension cable 32 through the perforations 18 of the lugs 16 on opposite sides of the wear-sleeve 12', as best shown in FIGURE 4, and securing the ends of the cables to the superstructure of the furnace. The wearsleeve 12 then serves to support all of the wear-sleeves thereabove so that the worn sleeves on the rod below sleeve 12' can be quickly unbolted, removed and replaced. After this has been done, the cables 32 are removed and the furnace is again ready for productive operation after only a relatively short shut-down.

It will be noted that in the event two segments of any wear-sleeve are stuck together and fail to readily dis- 3 engage from the bell rod upon removal of the nut-andbolt means, a bar may be inserted between the lugs of adjacent segments to apply a slight wedging force thereon and effect easy separation.

Although I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with a blast-furnace bell rod of a plurality of wear-sleeves fitted around said rod in superposed relation, each of said sleeves including at least two matching segments which together conform to the peripheral surface of said rod, at least one pair of diametrically opposed lugs on each of said segments, the lugs on each of said segments being aligned with the lugs on the other of said segments, and locking means detachably affixed to the lugs of adjoining segments thereby securing said segments around said rod.

2. The combination as defined by claim 1 in which one pair of said lugs on each segment include perforations adapted to accommodate a suspension means.

3. The combination as defined by claim 1 in which each of said lugs includes a protective shield projecting over said locking means.

4. The combination with a blast-furnace bell rod as defined by claim 1 in which at least one pair of said lugs on each segment include a plurality of perforations therethrough, the perforations in the lugs on each of said segments being aligned with the perforations in the lugs on the other of said segments forming groups of aligned perforations, said locking means being received in one group of aligned perforations in the lugs of adjoining segments, another group of aligned perforations in the lugs of adjoining segments being adapted to receive a suspension means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,144,145 8/1964 Steckle 21436 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A BLAST-FURNACE BELL ROD OF A PLURALITY OF WEAR-SLEEVES FITTED AROUND SAID ROD IN SUPERPOSED RELATION, EACH OF SAID SLEEVES INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO MATCHING SEGMENTS WHICH TOGETHER CONFORM TO THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID ROD, AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED LUGS ON EACH OF SAID SEGMENTS, THE LUGS ON EACH OF SAID SEGMENTS BEING ALIGNED WITH THE LUGS ON THE OTHER OF SAID SEGMENTS, AND LOCKING MEANS DETACHABLY AFFIXED TO THE LUGS OF ADJOINING SEGMENTS THEREBY SECURING SAID SEGMENTS AROUND SAID ROD. 